The invention relates to snow-making apparatus, in general, and in particular, to an improved nozzle arrangement for controlling the size and configuration of the snow crystals and their direction of generation.
A known type of snow-making apparatus employs an inner water-carrying pipe within an air-supplied outer jacket. Registration between the apertures in the inner pipe and in the outer jacket assures that a fine mist of atomized water particles is continuously available for freezing and forming snow crystals upon contact with frigid air. The large-scale models currently available provide tremendous quantities of snow but are bulky to handle. Problems involved with known snow-making apparatus include both the difficulty in forming a particular dry type of snow powder and in directing the snow powder upon a desired portion of the ski slopes and trails.
With temperatures in the vicinity of around 5.degree. C. to 10.degree. C. above zero, the apertures in the outer jacket tend to freeze and interrupt the snow-making process. Another problem frequently encountered with large-scale snow-making apparatus is the freeze-up which occurs within the inner water-carrying pipe after several hours of use in a frigid environment.
The purpose of this invention is to provide an improved portable and directional snow-making apparatus that continues to provide substantial quantities of snow over a wide range of ambient temperatures.